title: Occurrence of bifidobacteria in faeces of calves fed milk or a combined diet.
abstract: The development of faecal bacteria composition in calves fed milk or a combined diet was investigated from 4 to 21 days of age. On day 7, bifidobacteria in faeces of milk-fed calves already increased from about 7.6 to 9.2 log CFU/g and did not change until the end of the study, whereas in calves fed the combined diet bifidobacteria only moderately increased to 7.9 log CFU/g and decreased slowly until day 21. The counts of bifidobacteria in calves on a combined diet were significantly (p < 0.01) lower compared to those in milk-fed calves. Bifidobacterial counts determined by cultivation or by fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) did not differ significantly. Our results showed that the occurrence of bifidobacteria in calf faeces is highly dependent on the diet composition. Faecal bacteria flora of calves fed exclusively by milk is rich in bifidobacteria, but in calves on a combined diet coliforms dominated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Czech Republic. vlkova@af.czu.cz
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vlková
authors.forename: Vojtech
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rada
authors.forename: Iva
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Trojanová
authors.forename: Jirí
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Killer
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smehilová
authors.forename: Zuzana
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Molatová
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000254:growth & development*; D002417:Cattle / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial / Q000662:veterinary; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D005285:Fermentation; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D008892:Milk / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology